Skip to Content

Texas Film Awards to Honor Erykah Badu, Shelley Duval, Kaitlyn Dever

Austin Studios, March 12

Grab your popcorn—the Texas Film Awards return to Austin this month.

It promises to be a glamorous night. Former Dallas resident Kaitlyn Dever, who starred in the adored coming-of-age comedy “Booksmart” in 2019, will be presented with the Rising Star Award at this year’s gala. Film score composer Adrian Quesada, half of Austin’s Grammy-nominated psychedelic soul duo Black Pumas, will perform. Plus, Parker Posey, whose first major film role was in the Austin-shot classic “Dazed and Confused,” will emcee the ceremony, which welcomes movie-making talent into the Texas Film Hall of Fame, an institution founded by The Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith and The Austin Chronicle co-founder Louis Black.

Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada and Rising Star Award winner Kaitlyn Dever, photographed by Cliff Watts.

More than 90 artists and movies have joined the prestigious club in its near-20-year history, including previous Rising Star Award winners Jesse Plemons of “Breaking Bad” fame, “X-Men” franchise regular Tye Sheridan and “Aquaman” star Amber Heard.

Presented by the Austin Film Society and held at Austin Studios, the Texas Film Awards “will be a celebratory kickoff to another milestone year in AFS’s history as we continue to build Austin’s film culture and film production ecosystem,” says CEO Rebecca Campbell. Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward the artistic and educational programs of the AFS, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.

Photograph by Rudy Ximenez

Special guests and VIPs are invited to a private screening at AFS Cinema on the eve of the gala. The next morning, an honoree brunch and panel discussion precede the big event. Stars will walk the red carpet before the dinner and awards presentation, which is sure to showcase all the ways Texas continues to redefine cinema.